Maverick Wars I: Uprising
by Hannaji
Summary: The New Generation Reploids were supposed to bring an end to the war, not start a new one. With Lumine gone and others quickly stepping up to take his place, it's up to X, Zero, and Axl to bring an end to the latest maverick uprising.
1. Prologue 01

_The New Generation Reploids were supposed to bring an end to the war, not start a new one. With Lumine gone and others quickly stepping up to take his place, it's up to X, Zero, and Axl to bring an end to the latest maverick uprising._

* * *

 **Maverick Wars  
** **Part I: Uprising**

* * *

 **.: Prologue 01 :.**

 _"Just twenty-four hours ago, Maverick Hunters X, Zero, and Axl were dispatched to the moon via the Orbital Elevator in order to defeat Sigma, who was once again behind the recent attacks, and to recover the Jakob Project's director, Lumine, who had been taken two weeks prior by a revived Vile during a maverick outbreak at Noah's Park. Sigma was defeated once again, perhaps for good this time around._

 _However, according to X and Zero, upon Sigma's defeat, Lumine revealed himself to be behind everything, and declared that all New Generation Reploids, immune to all viruses thanks to their copy chip's unique DNA changing properties, have the ability to "go maverick at will."_

 _During the fight on the moon, Axl was attacked by Lumine and was rendered unconscious. As of yet, his condition has not changed, and he has been taken in by the New Generation Research Centre for further observation._

 _Both Sigma's and Lumine's bodies were destroyed during the fight, leaving nothing to recover at the Moon Palace."_

All the eyes of the World's Leaders stared at Commander Signas, the silence in the room deafening after finishing his report. An emergency meeting had been called as soon as his initial report had been sent in, and every world leader with ties to the Jakob Project, all Maverick Hunter Commanders, and a few scientists tasked with oversight of the project had been brought in as well. Despite being worlds apart and separated by the large holographic monitor displayed right in front of him, he noticed himself shifting his weight between his feet.

"Commander Signas," one woman spoke up, "as you can imagine, your report contains some very disturbing news. Is it all true?"

Signas nodded. "Yes, as of this moment, this report is up to date and contains everything we know about the situation."

"I see..." Her eyes narrowed. "And the one hunter attacked by Lumine… Axl, correct? It is my understanding that he is also a New Generation Reploid."

"Only a Prototype, ma'am."

"Still, he possesses a copy chip. If all New Generation Reploids do have this flaw that allows them to turn maverick of their own volition, surely that means the prototypes, which share the same copy chips and abilities as them, do as well?"

"With all due respect, ma'am, Axl is one of our best hunters. If you look at his history-"

"I'm well aware of the Red Alert incident, Commander Signas," she cut him off. "He turned on his original team, so who is to say he won't turn against the hunters as well?"

A rather loud cough caught their attention and the screen zoomed in on one of the scientists called in on the meeting. He was built rather young-looking, but everyone silenced themselves and focused on him.

"Now, now, let's not get too hasty here," the young scientist started. "Y-yes, there have been reports of the New Gens going maverick since Lumine's disappearance and the hijacking of the elevator. However, not one of these reports have listed a prototype as the culprit, and thanks to the research done by the Maverick Hunter's Headquarters, we have confirmed that the only ones that have gone maverick so far are those that contain Sigma DNA."

"Sigma DNA?" The woman shouted. "What purpose does Sigma DNA fulfill? Sigma is the most dangerous maverick in our current history and you decided that embedding his DNA into the copy chips was a good idea?"

"Ma'am, if you just give me a moment to explain - S-Sigma DNA is safe in all regards! Copying someone's appearance is not harmful in the slightest. Why those particular New Gens have decided to go maverick is b-b-beyond us at this time, but I can guarantee that no Prototypes contain Sigma DNA, and even if they did, it would disappear from their systems within hours - it's how their copy chips work. Prototype's copy chips function differently, which is why they pose no threat of becoming mavericks."

The woman stared at him, letting a sigh escape her lips. "Fine, I will grant the prototypes an exclusion, but I want all New Generation Reploids, _especially_ those with Sigma DNA embedded into their systems, rounded up immediately. I am also declaring a cease order on the production of copy chips and New Generation Reploids, also effective immediately."

"T-thank you ma'am. I assure you, this issue will be cleared up in n-no time at all…"

"Axiom, you continue to test my patience. I remember the day you brought your first prototype to me over a decade ago, and you assured me that your new technology would bring about the end of the Maverick Wars. Now look at this - they have started their own war."

The young scientist turned away, looking down from the screen. "I-I-I apologize. I promise, I will prove to you that the New Generation Reploids will lead us into a brighter era."

* * *

Five days passed since the emergency meeting, and still there had been no changes to Axl's condition, and there had been no discoveries as to the significance of the attack.

At the New Generation Research Centre, two Reploids watched over the comatose hunter - a female scientist overlooking his vitals, and another in dark armour looking into the capsule where he was being kept in. The repair to his helmet's crystal was complete, but he still remained unmoving.

"Alphie," the female scientist called out, "I know you are enamoured by your copy, but perhaps you can stop staring and help me out here?"

The Reploid didn't move, still staring at the hunter through the long bangs that never stayed out of its eyes for long. "He isn't my 'clone', Delilah. Just because we share a blueprint does not make us the same person. We don't even look the same."

The scientist sighed, returning back to the screen displaying Axl's vitals. "Whatever you say, Alphie. Still, I could use a little help, as much as I hate to admit it. I must be missing something here - his copy chip overheats every time he tries to wake up, and I haven't been able to track down a reason. Any suggestions?"

Alphie laid its chin in its palm. "Copy chips usually overheat from excessive use, or by trying to use incompatible DNA. I'm assuming here that there's no DNA stored in his copy chip at the moment, ruling out the latter…"

"So, there's something in his systems causing the copy chip to overheat… Is there perhaps something attacking his systems?"

"Maybe. Do you know what happened to him?"

Delilah shook her head. "Lumine attacked him. I wasn't told much else, though."

Alphie sighed, turning and walking towards the computer. "I never got to know Lumine as much as the other two, but from what I do know is that he wouldn't do sloppy work - we need to comb over every system and make sure not one thing is out of place."

"I assume you will volunteer as the base, then? It'd be easier to do a direct comparison. You do share the same blueprint, after all."

It sighed. "I know, I know, he was built off of my copied blueprint. But who's to say that we were programmed the same?"

"Oh for crying out loud…" She laid her face in her palm, shaking her head. "You're being more difficult than usual today..."

Alphie opened their mouth to say something, but was interrupted from a loud groan coming from the capsule. On the monitor Axl's vitals sprung to life as his systems started up one after another.

Delilah narrowed her eyes, focusing on the state of his copy chip, which was steady and showing no signs of distress. "I… I think he's coming out of it!" She spun around, looking at the capsule where Axl was moving around, like he was trying to get comfortable. Although his eyes hadn't opened, his copy chip system was still holding out. "Alphie, get Professor Kirov - I'm going to call Professor Axiom. He's waking up!"

* * *

The news of Axl coming out of his coma reached the Maverick Hunter Headquarters right away, and within the hour Commander Signas, Zero, and X had rushed to the Centre. All three were forced to stay outside the room while the Professors checked over their friend's systems for any damage.

After what seemed like an eternity two scientists left the room, one a male Reploid hunched over as he slumped out of the room, and the other a human woman.

Signas approached the two. "Professor Axiom, Professor Kirov. How is Axl doing?"

"He's doing just fine, Commander," the woman responded, "he's still a little out of it, but it's to be expected."

X and Zero both let out a sigh of relief.

"So, Professor Kirov-" Signas began.

"Please, no need for formalities. Just call me Estelle," the woman corrected.

"All right then. Estelle, were you or Axiom able to discover the reason behind his extended comatose state?"

She shook her head. "Not really. Every time he attempted to wake up, his copy chip would overheat, forcing him into an emergency stasis to prevent damage to his systems. We were unable to find the reason behind the overheating before he woke up."

"I see…"

"Excuse me," X interrupted, "but when can we see him?"

Estelle let out a small laugh. "I understand you're eager to see him, but we're just running a few more tests to make sure he's at one-hundred percent. He's suffering from some minor side effects from the hit, but they should clear up within the next few days. The amnesia, on the other hand…"

"Amnesia?" Zero cut in. "That doesn't sound minor to me."

Axiom groaned, lifting a hand to bury his face in it.

Estelle glared at him out of the corner of her eyes, and then cleared her throat. "I know any amount of missing memories isn't a good thing. His memory loss is limited to what happened at the Moon Palace. He's also suffering from a lack of balance and blurred vision, so we're sure it's linked to the hit Lumine did to him."

Signas brought his fist to his chin, letting out a groan. "This isn't good news. Axl was the first to confront Sigma, and if he can't remember what Sigma said during the battle we might miss out on what's going on with the New Generation Reploids that are turning maverick."

"It's unfortunate, but we'll just have to deal with it," Axiom responded, looking up at Signas with tired eyes.

Estelle looked over at her colleague, caught off guard by his bluntness. "Yes, it's not the greatest news at this point in time. Whatever comes of it, we'll get by." She let out a sigh. "I think it's been a long day. Why don't you come back tomorrow? I'm sure Axl would be thrilled to see you then."

Signas nodded. "That sounds like a good idea. We'll return in the morning."

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes:**_ _Well, if you've made it this far I'm assuming you didn't get up near the beginning to hunt me down. Or you haven't read_ Aftermath _(a one-shot written by yours truly. You have been warned)_. _I'M SORRY FORGIVE ME I HAD TO OKAY IT WAS TOO GOOD OF AN OPPORTUNITY TO PASS UP._

 _In case someone (or someones) didn't get past that beginning part and is hunting me down and succeeds, 2211Nighthawk has already written my obituary which I will post here in case the next chapter never comes…_

Hannaji (Writer, Fangirl)

She was a good friend - my best friend. MegaMan was her life. We both loved fanfiction and MegaMan… she loved that the most. She wrote many a good story, but then she wrote her final one. The masses rioted and it was the last that I saw of my dear friend Hannaji.  
 **Killed by rabid fanfolk.  
** I miss you, Hanna. You were the best...


	2. Prologue 02

_**Q &A Time!**_ _Okies, so here's the plan - I'll answer the reviews at the top, and make further author's notes at the bottom. If anyone has a problem, let me know in the reviews and I'll see what I can do to change it up/make it better._

 _Thank you to Chi's Creed, Thecowinspace/Dubby Cat, BlueStar Palette, 2211Nighthawk, and Answerthecall for your support! And also, a shout out to Shinryuu Uroborus for constantly kicking my butt over Skype. As for questions:_

 **Thecowinspace/Dubby Cat:** _Your question is hard to answer without spoilers, but I will tell you that OCs are not thrown in willy-nilly, and I swear that the plot isn't as plain as "oh another war let's kick butt!". I do use these little things known as "character development" and "plotlines" in my stories. If you do find this story_ too _plain, I recommend waiting for_ Insurgence _, which will be written after this one._

* * *

 **.: Prologue II :.**

The next day could not come soon enough for X and Zero. By eight in the morning the two hunters and their commander were already at the Centre, impatient to see their friend.

Walking through the front doors, Professors Axiom and Kirov were already waiting in the lobby.

"Professor Axiom… Estelle," Signas greeted the two, "How is Axl doing? Are there any improvements in his situation?"

"All appears to be well, and his systems are all online and fully operational," Axiom started, flipping through a datapad. "However, we shouldn't rush things - it will be at least another twenty-four hours before we will allow him to start moving around on his own, and of course his memory loss is of g-great c-concern."

Signas sighed. "Of course. May we see him now?"

"I was just about to ask the same!" Estelle laughed. "He's been wanting to see you guys since he woke up. Let's not keep him waiting, shall we?"

The two professors led the way to the room they were forced to wait outside of the night before, leading them through. Inside, it was a rather large room, with a female Reploid working at the computer workstation, connected to a recovery pod. X and Zero immediately rushed to the pod while the professors and Signas made their way to the working Reploid.

"Delilah," Estelle addressed her, "you've been working all night. Shouldn't you take a rest?"

"Can't do," she shot back. "I just got the records that were requested from the Maverick Hunters. I need to do the comparison while everything is still fresh in my mind."

"Just now?" Signas questioned. "Those should have been sent days ago."

A voice came out from the computer, "Forgive me, I was not being diligent. I assumed the automatic filters were functioning properly, so I did not think to check them to find the missing email message. I will do so from now on as soon as a missing message is reported."

"So it got caught in the filters…" Estelle muttered under her breath. "Thanks, Nicol. It was probably a one-time error, but could you let Eshidi know about this? I want him to minimize the chances of this happening again."

"Professor Eshidi has already been informed and will be examining the issue at his first available opportunity. Tekk has also been alerted and will be doing as I am, checking the filters for any further lost email communications."

"Always two steps ahead. Thank you again."

"Speaking of communications, Commander, may we talk?" Axiom asked. "Elsewhere, preferably."

Signas nodded, moving aside to let Axiom pass. The two exited the room, leaving Estelle and Delilah to watch over the three hunters.

"Eugh, do we have to let them in now?" Delilah questioned. "I want to complete this quick as possible, and the distractions won't help one bit. Just a few hours is all I need."

"Yes, they can come in now. We agreed last night that they could. I know you're married to your work, but I honestly think you need a rest. You're crankier than usual…"

"I'm not cranky. I just want to get this done. I need to know what happened, what went wrong, how to prevent it…"

"Delilah." Estelle rested her hand on the other's head, causing her to look up from her work. "Go, recharge. Running on e-tanks will not get this done faster. I'm fully capable of running an analysis, you know."

"But-"

"No buts about it. You rest, I work. You can comb over my results and re-analyze if needed after you've had a nice, long nap. Got it?"

Delilah stayed silent, then dug her face into her hands. Without another word she got up and left.

"Rest well, Delilah. You deserve it with the way you work too hard."

* * *

Axiom led Commander Signas to another empty room, identical to the one they had been in before. Axiom locked the door before addressing the Commander. "I h-hate to dampen the mood, but have you received the initial report as requested by the council?"

"Yes, unfortunately. Those numbers are quite disturbing." Signas' gaze drifted towards the floor, and his face twisted into a frown. "If they're anywhere close to accurate then this will end up being the largest Maverick outbreak in our current history... worse than Eurasia."

Axiom fidgeted with his datapad, quickly flipping through its pages. "I'm s-still hoping that what happened with Lumine and the others was s-simply an isolated in-in-incident. If not… I hope our numbers are n-n-not accurate."

"If I may ask, but are there any securities or methods in place for DNA distribution? It's odd that so many have Sigma's DNA within their copy chips, considering his status."

"Yes, yes, o-of course! Even with the non-existent risks of copying his appearance, we've established early on that n-not just any New Gen should have access to such h-h-horrible DNA. However, what's done is done. All we can do now is d-damage control…"

* * *

Several hours passed. Commander Signas returned to the room where Axl stayed, unsurprised to see X and Zero still talking with him. A smile filled his face hearing the three of them talk and laugh. He approached the pod.

"It's good to see you up, Axl," he greeted. "You're feeling better?"

"Of course!" Axl exclaimed. "Ready for the front lines, sir!"

Signas let out a laugh. "Let's not push it that far yet. Just focus on your recovery, one day at a time, no need to rush."

The cheeky grin on his face disappeared, and let out a sigh. "Yes, sir…"

"Hey, no need to be so down, Axl," Zero chimed in. "Think of this as a well-earned break. Involuntary, maybe, but well-earned."

"Easy for you to say, you're not the one strapped down."

"Well, it's better than the alternative options for a forced break. Wouldn't you agree, Zero?" X smirked.

"What are you talking about?" Zero took a moment to think, his eyes going wide after a few seconds. "Hey, not funny!"

"As much as I know you two would like to stay," Commander Signas cut in, resting his hands on X and Zero's shoulders, "we should be taking our leave now. Don't worry, you two can come and visit again tomorrow, and every day after that until he's cleared to return. Granted, this won't interfere with your required duties. Axl, you should get some rest. Remember, don't rush your recovery."

The three responded with a unified "yes, sir" before Signas, X, and Zero took their leave.

Out in the lobby, Professor Axiom waited for them. "Ah, there you are. One thing before you go - I a-apologize for my outburst last night, it was entirely out of character for me."

Signas nodded. "I understand, Professor. With everything that's been happening, we're all exceeding our limits. There's no doubt that it has been a stressful time, especially for you and your team."

"You're too kind, Commander." Axiom bowed his head, allowing the three to leave. "You're much too kind."

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes:**_ GAAAAAAAAH, I FINISHED. FINALLY. _I wanted this done months ago… I thank my friends, my family, my followers, and the flu for allowing me to get this done and posted before the New Year._

 _Final thing: The next chapter will be the third and final prologue chapter before finally diving into the thick of things. Why not mash it all into one? Because then it would be YEARS between updates instead of MONTHS. Also, it flows better when it's broken down into logical sections, and you guys can read in short sittings and not have to quit halfway through a chapter. Chapters will be taking this format as well for these reasons._


	3. Prologue 03

_**Q &A Time!**_

 _I got a question on deviantART, so I'll copy it over and answer it here as well~_

RSBCS: Nice work. Glad to see Axl is recovering after that hit Lumine gave him. But, didn't we see something in where he was struck that might suggest the Maverick did something to Axl? Well, either way, good to know the rookie hunter ain't down and out. But, what numbers was Professor Axiom talking to Signas about? Was it the number of new generation Reploids going Maverick because of Lumine and sigma's efforts?

 _There's a lot of story left (therefore, lots to spoil), but I will say I have not forgotten Axl's ending in X8. And you are mostly correct on your assumption there - Axiom and Signas were discussing the amount of New Generation Reploids produced, which is the total amount of potential Mavericks thanks to Lumine and Sigma. The war has just begun, after all._

 _Yes, I'm painfully slow at writing. No, Nighthawk, I'm not dead yet._

* * *

 **.: Prologue III :.**

The past few days had passed by in a blur for Axl, with everything feeling more like a dream than reality. He remembered most of his time was spent being examined by the various researchers, and X and Zero visited him every day for a few hours. Everything he did up to that moment was confined to a recovery pod, but finally, after three days, he was allowed to walk around, and on his own, too… for the most part.

"Oi, keep up, will you? I have stuff I'd actually _like_ to get to today!" A jade coloured reploid that he came to know as Delilah yelled at him from a good distance ahead. If she were walking any faster he would need to dash to keep up. "Honestly, I would be _much_ better off working with the others trying to find out exactly why this disaster is happening, but _no_ , I'm stuck babysitting… Why not let one of the assistants handle this? This stuff is nothing compared to what I _should_ be doing."

Axl bit his tongue to prevent himself from saying something he would regret, and followed two steps behind her down the empty hallways until she stopped at a large door.

"Okay, here's the training lab where I'll be watching as you do a simple training exercise," she said, inputting a passcode to open the door. "Basic stuff, just hit the targets. They'll adjust their distance and movements as you hit or miss."

"Heh, this should be no problem."

"Good. The less problems you have, the sooner we can wrap this up, and I can get back to my own work." She pointed to the now open door. "Head on in, I just need a minute to set up. You'll know when the test begins."

Walking through the door, he was greeted with a familiar sight - a large, concrete room with high ceilings lined with projectors, and a glass window one floor up which housed the room's controls behind it. No matter where he was, the training rooms all looked the same.

A short while later, he watched as Delilah entered the control room, taking a seat. The door to the room shut, and a familiar hum started up as the projectors came to life, materializing a single bullseye target a fair distance away.

 _Heh, easy enough. A rookie could hit this!_

He materialized a single gun, gripping it tightly as he focused on the solitary target. The necessary steps were second nature to him - focus, aim, fire. He had been doing it for as long as he could remember, under almost every circumstance he could think of. As a marksman, it was his job to do so. It felt odd to him that he was focusing on his target so intensely, but Signas was right when he said to take it slow.

 _Don't rush, get my bearings. Aim…_

He pulled the trigger, a single gunshot ringing out as the bullet travelled straight and hit the target on the outside edge. Detecting the poor shot, the target readjusted the distance between itself and the shooter, moving closer to Axl.

He jumped a little, surprised his aim had been so off, but quickly shook it off. It was his first time shooting after a somewhat major injury, he just needed to get his bearings straight. Once again, he lined up his shot, taking more care in his aiming. Satisfied with his aim, he pulled the trigger again, once again only barely hitting the target, prompting it to move even closer.

 _What the..?_

It didn't make sense. It didn't make any sense to him at all. His entire hunting career, no, his _entire life_ , was centered around his sharpshooting eye, his ability to hit targets over long distances. But now he couldn't hit a target that might as well should have been right in front of his face.

 _What's wrong with me?_

An echoing cackle interrupted his barrage of thoughts. At least, that's what he thought he heard. Looking around, he saw no one else, and Delilah was nose deep in her datapad, too busy scribbling notes to be doing much else. It wasn't her, it couldn't be her. It didn't even sound like her. Yet, it sounded familiar.

 _Was I… imagining things? Are my systems glitchy or something? It sounded so real…_

He let out a long sigh, shaking his head to clear his thoughts. The target was very close now. He took aim again, trying to line up the shot, but couldn't. The gun felt heavy in his hand, and he could see he was shaking. Not willing to give up he used both hands to support his gun, reducing the shaking but it still felt like he was trying to hold up the world. His finger slipped, sending a bang echoing through the room, and the bullet missed its mark completely, ending the exercise.

 _Heh, what a joke. THIS is the kid who fought alongside with the legends? More like some tag-a-long leech._

The gun in his hands disappeared, and Axl let his arms fall to the side. His gaze fell to the floor. That voice in his head… It sounded so much like his own, but those words were ones he would never use. He was always such a cheery guy, never allowing such statements to get to him. He remembered way back when still in Red Alert, many had called him a leech and a useless pet because of his poor fighting skills, but he used those hurtful words to improve himself and prove to them he was worthy of being a member of such an elite bounty hunting group. And after he left, before he was finally granted the title of Maverick Hunter, all the scowls he received from actual Hunters as he took on missions as an outside affiliate, many of them with his heroes, X and Zero. He may have been unwelcome then, but he refused to give up on his dream, and was rewarded in the end with his current A-Rank.

 _Rewarded for hard work and perseverance, or given because of my abilities and status as a New Gen? I only did become a hunter after finding out what I was..._

His voice echoed in his mind again, but those weren't his words… Or were they? They couldn't be, but could they?

 _ **What is wrong with me?**_

"Hey," a soft voice called from behind him.

Turning around quickly, Axl came face to face with the owner of the voice - a slate blue coloured reploid, their armour accented with silver stripes. Dark bangs hid their eyes, and the rest of their long hair was tied back with a white bow. The reploid looked familiar to him.

 _No, not familiar. They look a lot like me._

"H-hi," Axl stuttered out a forced greeting back.

The two stood in awkward silence for a minute that took an eternity to pass, before the newcomer spoke again.

"I couldn't help but notice you were having some issues. Are you feeling okay?"

 _So they saw that, too…_ "I'm fine. I just… I just need a moment to get my bearings again. It's been a while since I last had to do this…"

"Understandable, just take your time. I'm not sure what Delilah told you, but this is supposed to be more like physical therapy in a way - don't rush yourself, just focus on recalibrating yourself. You also don't have to worry about her breathing down your neck, I'm taking over so she can get back to her own work. I know she's rough around the edges, but that's only because she prefers doing... 'productive' work."

"Oh... Thanks."

"Not a problem, Axl." They held out a hand in greeting. "My name's Alpha, by the way, but just call me Alphie."

 _Alpha… wait a second. I've heard about you._

"So, you're the 'original prototype'. Well, that makes a lot more sense now." Axl muttered under his breath.

Alphie let out a small laugh. "Oh, good. Professor Axiom did tell you about me the last time you were here. Please, don't think anything different of me, I'm just Alphie."

 _That's right. The day I found out I was a New Generation Reploid, I was also told that I was built identical to Alpha, the original prototype, whose blueprint had been stolen after completion… But we're not completely the same. Heck, we don't look that similar after all. I came here hoping it would answer some questions I had about myself and my origins, but I just walked out with even more questions. Just my luck, I guess. But it's fine, because I'm me, not anyone else, and no past of mine will change who am I now._

"Axl, are you okay?"

He shook his head, clearing out his stray thoughts. "Sorry, zoned out for a second. Can you start the training program again? I'm ready to give it another go."

"All right then. Just give me a moment to set up," Alphie said, taking his leave from the room.

* * *

The second time around went much better. With the stress of expectations and time limits lifted off him, Axl found that his performance had improved. It wasn't perfect - he still missed an occasional shot here and there, but by the end the target had moved as far back as it could, and had reset itself as a moving target. Both himself and Alpie agreed to end it there, feeling exhausted from a good day's work.

The two passed through the lobby, running into X and Zero as they entered the Centre.

"Hey, Axl!" Zero waved to him.

"Ah, your friends, right?" Alphie asked. "I'll leave you to them. I have my own things I should be doing anyways."

"Okay," Axl nodded. "See you around, I guess."

Alphie nodded and walked away, while X and Zero walked up to Axl.

"It's good to see you up and about," Zero commented. "Should be ready for the frontlines soon, right?"

"Of course!" Axl said. "You two are late today, where have you been?"

"We had a important mission today," X started. "A group of New Gens went maverick and went on a rampage in a small town. We managed to take them out before anything serious happened."

"Aw, you guys are having fun without me!" Axl whined. "That's it, the next time you get called out, I'm going with you! Can't let you guys have fun busting mavericks without me!"

"Yeah, yeah, you need to get out of here first!" Zero exclaimed, firmly grabbing Axl's helmet and giving him a shake. "Once they say your head's on straight we'll be taking you out with us again."

"Don't worry, we're sure you'll be out of here soon. It feels weird not having the three of us working together on missions." X commented.

"Aw, X, you miss me!" Axl teased, punching him lightly in the arm. "You really miss me!"

"Yes, Axl. Yes I do."

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes:**_ _Wow, this chapter was done fast. Big shoutout to Dearest Friend Shinryuu Uroborus for helping me write this chapter. Seriously, this chapter wouldn't have been finished without her. Heck, this chapter wouldn't EXIST without her._

 _Anyone else feeling fluffy inside over X's change of heart with Axl? Because I sure do. The change between X7 and X8 was so heartwarming, it makes me melt every time I think about it._

 _Next time on Maverick Wars: the action commences as Chapter 1 begins! Will Axl be able to join in on the action, or will he be forever doomed as a horrible shot? Tune in to find out!_


	4. Chapter 1-1

_**Q &A Time!**_

 _One comment from BlueStar Palette I'm gonna address: Yes, my upload schedule is crap. As a university student, I ask myself three questions when uploading: Is the chapter finished? Do I have time to upload it now? Do I have the means to upload it now? Answer yes to all three, and voila! New chapter posted. I found out I can upload .DOCX with my phone to FanFiction and use the doc editor, and will be doing so if I finish a chapter while away from my computer. Yaay, the life of a busy busy student…_

* * *

 **.: Chapter 1.1 :.**

A week passed. X and Zero found themselves standing at the entrance of Noah's Park like they had done a little over a month earlier.

 _But back then, Axl was with me, not Zero_ , X thought.

"X, Zero," Alia's voice came over their comms, "I've tracked down the target. There is an experimental mechaniloid called a "Mecholiath" running amok in your general vicinity and causing damage. We have cause to believe it's being remotely controlled, so if possible please leave the control chip intact."

"Got it," Zero replied.

X stared out at the forest before them, full of towering trees supported by mechanical systems to keep them in peak condition. The scenery was beautiful, but seeing steel wires run through the natural plant life disturbed him.

"X," Zero called out, "come on, let's go. We gotta track down that mechaniloid before it causes serious damage."

"Right," X nodded, "of course."

A large crash from nearby shook the ground, sending wildlife running and birds flying.

"That was easy," Zero grabbed his sabre and activated it, running through the treeline towards the source of the disturbance. "Cover me!"

X activated his buster, readying a charge shot as he followed behind his friend. It wasn't long until the two reached a meadow, and in it was a large red mechaniloid over twice the hunter's height. It was built like a Ride Armour, with a sturdy body, wielding a claw in place of its right hand.

"Alia, we found it!" Zero exclaimed over the comm. "The thing's huge!"

"Yes, it's big, but not invincible," Alia stated. "If you can expose the joints, you can disarm it that way, but focus on taking out its power source. Do you see that crystal on its chest? That's it."

"Thanks, I see it," X responded, focusing on the round blue crystal obscured by the Mecholiath's arms. "The arms are in the way, so we don't have a clear shot yet. We'll probably will have to attack the joints first."

"On it!" Zero said and lunged towards the mechaniloid. He jumped up and swung his sabre down on its right wrist, destroying the armour protecting the joint. It retalited by swinging around its upper body, sending Zero flying back. He landed on his feet, ready to attack again.

X fired off the charged shot, making the mech flail its arms out as it attempted to regain balance.

Zero took the opening, taking a running jump and slashing the mech across the chest, damaging the crystal where its powercore was stored. It quickly countered, using its claw to send Zero flying off again.

X ran up closer to the mech, charging a shot while attempting to find a better vantage point.

The mech noticed. It lifted its claw above its head, ready to come down at a moment's notice.

With its power core exposed X fired the shot, destroying what was left of the exterior of the crystal and damaging the power core. Sparks flew from its chest as the body stiffened, unable to move itself.

"Well, that was easy," Zero stated, moving in underneath the giant.

X nodded, and walked up beside Zero. "Are you okay? You took the brunt of its attacks."

"I'm not fragile, a couple hits is nothing," he responded. "Hey, Alia, you wanted the control chip, right? Where is it?"

"It should be in its head," Alia said. "There's a service panel in the rear, which should give you access to it."

"Of course it's on the top of its head," Zero muttered, staring straight up at the slumped over mechaniloid towering over him.

"This thing's huge, what's it purpose anyways?" X asked.

"Construction. They were supposed to be deployed to the Moon Colony, but weren't completed before this fiasco started."

"They?" Zero questioned. "Don't tell me there's more of this thing."

"According to the records I have, there were three constructed in total. However, the other two are currently accounted for."

"Thank goodness," Zero sighed in relief. "That was a rough battle, I'd hate to go through that again."

"Still, the issue at hand is recovering that control chip. This thing seems needlessly tall…" X said. He scratched the back of his neck and turned towards Zero. "Give me a hand, will you? If I can get boosted up high enough, I can climb the rest of the way-"

The Mecholiath roared to life again, its claw quickly coming down at the two. X quickly pushed Zero away, and ended up pinned to the ground.

"X!" Zero screamed, activating his saber again and lunging at the exposed joint.

The mech responded by swatting at him, sending him flying into the tree line. A steady beeping started.

"X! Zero!" Alia screamed over the comm. "What's wrong? What's going on there?"

"Run away! The self destruct activated!" X screamed, struggling to move underneath the claw.

Zero quickly got up, gripping his saber tighter. "Not without you I'm not!" He rushed towards the mech again, dodging its massive arm and landing a clean hit on the joint, separating the claw from the body. "Hold on!"

The beeping increased in frequency, becoming louder and faster.

"Go, save yourself!"

"I told you, I'm not leaving you!"

"Zero, RUN!"

A blast rang out, and then there was silence.

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes:**_ _God damn am I busy. I wanted to get a side story done first to expand on issues brought up in the previous chapter first but I hit a rut and couldn't continue either. I apologize this took so long._

 _I forced myself out of this rut because today is a special day. For you, Monty Oum. I promise to create today, and I promise to complete this story, my masterpiece. You will never work on yours again, but those left behind here have picked up the torch and continue your legacy. In your memory I dedicate today's updates and my resolve from here on out. Forever rest in peace, Monty Oum._


	5. Chapter 1-2

**Q &A Time!**

 _Well, there's nothing here because this is a double update! More in the author's note below._

* * *

 **.: Chapter 1.2 :.**

 _It stopped,_ X thought. He forced his eyes back open and saw he was still pinned below the Mecholiath's claw, with Zero hunched over him.

Zero looked up and saw a shot had gone through the Mecholiath's head. It wavered for a moment before toppling over limply onto its back without another fight.

"X, Zero!" A familiar voice was heard, and the running footsteps accompanying it got closer.

"Axl!" They both called back, watching as their friend ran towards them from the treeline. "Help us out, will ya?"

"Not even a "thanks" or "welcome back"? I just saved your butts!" Axl teased, stopping next to the claw and gripping it wherever he could to lift it. Zero joined him, gripping on to the other side.

"One, two, three!" Zero counted, and both him and Axl lifted the claw off the ground. X quickly shuffled out from underneath it, and once he was clear the two dropped the claw again.

"Heh, you two can't do anything without me, can you?" Axl laughed, earning him a smack on the back of the head from Zero.

"Says the guy who's been out of work for the past couple of weeks!" Zero responded. "Guess who had to pick up your slack?"

X laughed. "Thanks, Axl. You showed up at just the right time and saved us both. Welcome back."

"Not to spoil the moment," Alia's voice came over their comms, "but Axl, you destroyed the control chip. We were supposed to retrieve it."

"Whoops…"

"He had no choice, Alia," X countered. "The mechaniloid would've destroyed itself anyways, and taken us with it. We weren't getting the chip either way."

She sighed. "True enough. The mecholiath is no longer a threat. We'll call a clean-up crew to deal with its remains. Right now-"

An explosion rang out, drowning out Alia's transmission. Looking up towards the sound, the trio saw a billow of smoke and flames rising near the elevator.

"What the hell?" Zero yelled.

"Come on, let's go!" X yelled, running ahead of the other two towards the treeline. They followed after him.

On the other side, the three were greeted by a reploid security guard who collapse at the sight of them and began coughing.

X quickly rushed to his side. "Sir, are you okay?"

"The control tower," he coughed out. "Someone blew up the elevator's control tower!"

"Alia, did you catch that?" Zero asked.

"Loud and clear." She replied. "I'm scanning the area now, but I can't see anyone else."

"Dammit," X muttered under his breath. "Alia, send a medic crew to my location - the guard is suffering from smoke damage. I'll stay here with him. Axl, Zero, you need to secure the area. whoever did this can't be far."

"Got it!" Alia, Axl, and Zero nodded in unison. Axl and Zero ran off, leaving X behind with the guard.

When they arrived at the tower, the entire structure was engulfed in flames and spewing thick smoke.

Axl immediately turned to scanning the area. Luckily the area surrounding the tower was barren so there was no risk to the nature and wildlife if it continued to burn. Looking upwards towards the tower, a silhouette standing on the roof caught his attention. They remained unmoving even though the flames were engulfing them.

"Zero, on the roof!" Axl called out, pointing towards the figure.

Zero turned around and focused on where Axl pointed out, squinting and also seeing the figure standing there. "Alia, are you seeing this on your end?"

"No, nothing at all," she replied.

"Hey, you!" Axl called out to them.

The figure shifted a bit, as if they had turned to look at them. A second later they disappeared.

"Wait, I just got something, but for just a split second," Alia quickly blurted out. "It was… A New Gen? Yes, I'm sure about it. I can't seem to identify it beyond that, though."

"Whoever it was, they're gone now," Zero shook his head. "They're probably the one behind the Mecholiath being stolen and the control tower's destruction."

"I can't say for sure, although it's far too much of a coincidence to just be chance." Alia sighed. "The other teams have arrived. Return to HQ and we'll try to piece this all together from here."

"Roger," Axl and Zero replied in unison. The teleportation signal locked on to their location and brought them back to base.

* * *

 _ **Author's Notes:**_ _Double update. Let's see if I can make it a triple tonight._


	6. Chapter 1-3

**Q &A Time!**

 _Yes, Nighthawk, I love my cliff-hangers. I knew I would post a new chapter right away so that's why I was so evil with it._

* * *

 **.: Chapter 1.3 :.**

"So that's it. The mission failed, unfortunately. And on top of that, a security officer was injured by a sudden explosion that destroyed the Elevator Control Tower. The perpetrator is thought to be a New-Gen with a cloaking ability. Their cloaking device seems to be flawed as we were able to identify them as a New-Gen when they teleported out of the area." Alia finished flipping through her clipboard.

"Hmmm… alright." Signas replied. "Well, it was a shame that things turned out to be this way, but it's not the end of the world. Is it possible to track where the New-Gen might have gone?" he asked.

"Right now we are attempting to track where they escaped to. We don't know who they are and what they want, so we are unable to predict where they will go next." Alia answered.

"So be it. It might be best not to try and track the New-Gen first. As regrettable as it sounds, the cloaking device factor is what limits our actions - the best we can do is wait until the New-Gen takes further action. Until then, it's just a wild goose chase." Signas sighed. "Are the other Mecholiaths still accounted for?"

"Yes, Sir." Alia replied. "Whoever stole the Mecholiath didn't even attempt to take the other two. Their incomplete AIs might have been a factor."

Signas sighed. "I guess all we can do is wait."

A loud jingle filled the Commander's office, prompting them both to look towards the speakerphone mounted onto the desk.

"Commander, this is the receptionist desk calling. Professor Estelle Kirov and her assistant are here to see you." the receptionist spoke after the jingle stopped playing. Another voice was heard in the background muttering something difficult to make out, but Signas recognized the voice as that of Professor Kirov's.

"Alright, send them in. Alia, you're dismissed. Thank you for the mission report, and good day," Signas responded. Alia bowed and quickly left the room.

A few minutes later, the door slid open and Estelle walked in, with her assistant - a childlike female reploid with blue armour and long, dark rust-coloured hair, who bore a striking resemblance to her.

"Good afternoon, Commander Signas." Estelle greeted Signas. "Thank you so much for making the time for us to come and talk to you."

"Good afternoon Prof- erm. Estelle. I'm surprised to see you in person, though. Is there any particular reason for you to make such a trip?" Signas replied.

"Several, actually," Estelle started. "First and foremost, we believe that our secure communications line may have been compromised, based on the fact that several rather important emails had been unable to get through our filter. Until the issue can be resolved and the security of the line can be determined, I find it best that we communicate directly and in person. I'm willing to come, and my assistant included, as often as necessary with any and all developments in the New Gen crisis."

Signas nodded. "I understand and agree completely. If there is a breach in our communications, it could spell disaster for our current situation."

"Thank you, Commander." She turned towards her assistant. "This is my personal assistant, Echo. She'll be accompanying me."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Commander Signas," Echo said, bowing in respect.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Echo," Signas smiled, nodding his head towards her. "You said you had several concerns, Estelle?"

"Yes, next up was regarding Axl. He was released this morning with recommendations for limited duties for the time being. I believe Axiom tried sending an email about it, but given recent difficulties I doubt you received it."

Signas' eyes narrowed. "How limited are we talking?"

"Nothing above patrolling for a week. We were concerned about him taking on his normal duties and missions right away and suggested working his way up from patrols to allow him to regain his bearings and avoid straining his copy chip. We were still unsure if there was any lingering side effects related to it overheating repeatedly."

"I see. Axl seemed to have skipped over that detail before I sent him out to assist X and Zero on their mission. He had assured me he was cleared to return to full duty."

"Oh boy," Echo sighed, looking down and shaking her head.

Estelle stayed silent for a moment. "If I may inquire, what was the objective of the mission?"

"Tracking down and immobilizing a stolen experimental mechaniloid," he stated. "Are you familiar with the Mecholiaths?"

Estelle brought a palm up to her face. "Yes, I'm aware of the Mecholiath project. They were on the verge of deployment when this all started happening…" She let out a long sigh. "Just off the record, if I may ask, has Axl always been this… energetic?"

Signas let out a small chuckle, "Off the record, yes. I appreciate his enthusiasm, but he can get carried away at times. This seems to be one of those times."

"I see…"

The jingle from the speaker interrupted again. "Commander Signas, X, Zero, and Axl have returned from their mission and are ready to give their report."

"Ah," Signas stuttered, "Sorry, I'm-"

"No, don't apologize," Estelle cut in. "I'd like to hear the report myself if you'd allow it. Echo, can you give Axl a quick look-over as well? Just to make sure his copy chip is still functioning as normal."

"Yes, ma'am!" Echo nodded.

"All right then." Signas pressed a button on the speaker. "Send them in."

A few moments later the three hunters entered the office. Both X and Axl were surprised to see the extra visitors, while Zero remained indifferent.

"Professor Kirov?" X asked.

"Estelle, _Estelle_!" She corrected and stressed. "Uptight formalities just don't look good on me. No professor nonsense, please! Anyways, perfect timing!" Estelle exclaimed and clapped her hands together. "Axl, we were just talking about you!"

"Yes, we were," Signas looked right at him, eyes narrowed. "Estelle has told me that she had recommended against returning to active duty for at least another week. Is this true, Axl?"

He winced.

The female reploid walked up to Axl, causing him to take a step back. She stared into his face for a second, before turning her attention to other parts of his body. "Is your copy chip functioning well?" She asked. "No errors, no colour shifts, no extra limbs and ligaments sprouting from your body?"

"EH?" Axl shouted, straining his neck to look over his own body.

"Well, I don't see anything, and if you haven't noticed anything either, it's safe to assume your copy chip is in good working order! He's fine, ma'am!"

Axl sighed, slouching over to calm down from the moment of panic.

"Well, if that's the case, no harm, no foul," Estelle chimed. "It was only a recommendation to begin with. I heard about the Mecholiath already, and it seems like all's good with the world." She turned towards Signas. "I have no objections to Axl rejoining the front lines."

"Alright." Signas replied. "Anything else from the both of you?" he asked.

Estelle brought a finger up to her chin and hummed. "Emails, done. Axl, done… Nope, that was everything. Echo, am I missing anything?"

Echo shook her head. "No, ma'am."

"Well then, if that's everything, we best be on our way then," Estelle finished.

"Very well then," Signas said. "I hope we'll be in contact again soon."

* * *

 _ **Author's Note:**_ _And that is the end of Chapter 1. Onwards!_


End file.
